grieve



May 26, 1931. T. s. GRIEVE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1928 MA? I 7 54 w W H. W H w 5 5K 0 m mfgw w M 6 w v 1 fie. 3.

May 26, 1931. T. s. GRIEVE 1,806,996

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 26, 1931. T. s. GRIEVE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 28, 1928 Fia/(Z Patented May 26, 1931 THOMAS SCOTT GRIEVE, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND draconian KNITTING MACHINE Application filed June 28, 1928, Serial No. 288,909, and in Great Britain September 2, 1927..

This invention relates to circular knitting machines of thetype'having superposed needle cylindersfwhich rotate within stationary cam boxes and concerns more particularly,

' though-not exclusively, suchmachines adapted for the production of seamless hosiery.

The lobject of the invention is to provide inorfora circular knitting machine or the aforesaid type a form of splicing mechanism which will ensure the splicing yarn being con veyed to the needles'by the main yarn.

' In the specification ofmy British Patent No. 13081 of '1907I have described splicing mechanism whichhas as its essential feature means for twisting the splicing thread round the main 1 thread so that, as the latter was drawn in by the needles, the splicing thread was taken with it thereby ensuring introduction of said splicing thread to the needles.

This twisting or wrappingof the one thread about the other is found to give most satisfactory results'andup to the present the mechanism forming the subject of my British'pat5 ent aforesaid has always'beenused in super posed needle cylinderrknitting machines of the kind wherein the said cylinders were stationary. V V or P 'Seamless hosiery machines having superposed needle cylinders which rotated were not known at the date of my British Patent No. 13081 of 1907 and were not introduced to the trade until's'omeyears later. In connection with such machines-various problems have-presented themselves and some of these have been founddifiicult to solve. One difficulty experienced'has been to provide a splic- 'ing mechanism which operated. with cer tainty. A My present inventionconsists in applying 0r adapting the splicing mechanism of the aforesaid British patent, or 'splicingrnechai nism substantially like this, to a superposed cylin-der'knitting machine of the revolving cylinder type, 1 y f a f;;.

In carrying out the'invention'I use a rotating funnel or likemember with a trapper device such as described "in the"specif1cation aforesaid ona revolving-,cylinder knitting machine said funnel'lor member being driven such as by gearing or friction orboth pres erably by or from the top needle cylinder. In general form and construction and also in operation the funnel or member is conveniently the same or substantiallythe same as ferred to. p

In applying this mechanism to a machine of the revolving cylinder type I find it con described in they prior specification-frefvenient to mountthe funnel rotatably in the top bearing plate of the machine and toim} part the necessary rotation either by friction drive from thetop needle cylinder or pinion meshing with a gear wheel on .the top needle cylinder. p v p In further describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying -drawings, wherein, Y

Figure 1 is a plan view of a practical en} ample of the invention. I Figure 2 is a side elevation of'the same. Figure 3'is a sectional elevation off the splicing mechanism taken along line IIIIII of Figure -1, and I Figures 4 to 8 are VIEWS illustrating difi'erent stages in the operationof the splicing mechanism. v Fig. 9' is a diagrammatic side elevation of a double cylinder knitting machine having the splicing mechanism applied thereto. Figure 10 is a detail View of the spring controlling the trapper. f In the constructional embodiment illustrated, theistalk or shank 1 of the funnelZQ is rotatably v mounted a sleeve 3; in turn rotatably mounted in;a bush 41in the top bearing plate 5 ofacircular knitting machine of the type aforesaid. The sleeve 3 has se-. cured to its lower end by a -key 6' agear wheel .7 in mesh with the topv cylinder gear 8 and is therefore driven continuallywhile the machine isin 'oper ation. The funnel 2 is normally held "stationary but, wheres}. leased, as hereinafter: described, is driven frictionally by the sleeve 3. For this purpose a spring ring 9 is'fixed,e. g. byfa screw 9a in a-"groove 10 in the shank l' of the funnel, which ring, by expansion makes" fric tiona-l feentact'with the inside of the sleeve and thus -SGIXQS to-transmit the drive i from the sleeve to the funnel when the latter is free to rotate.

The rotation of the funnel is controlled by intermediate connections from the existing controlling drum of the machine. To this end the funnel 2 is provided with a radially disposed pin 11 which is normally engaged and held by a projection 12 on a block 13 carried above the top plate 5 by a spring controlled rod 14 adapted to be moved vertically in one direction, viz. downwardsby a spring 15 and in the other direction by cam pieces on the drum.

The yarn trapping arrangement in the funnel is similar to that described in the prior specification herein referred to, except that the trapper 16 is provided with a pin 17 which is engaged by the projection 12 on the block 13 for opening the trapper at the time required. The arrangement is also improved by the provision of a yielding platform or step upon which the trapper presses the yarn to hold it. This platform consists of a plate 18 on a plunger 19 controlled by a spring 20, the object being to more yieldingly hold the end of the splicing yarn 21 than heretofore, so that it can, after the splicing yarn has been twisted about the main yarn 22, be more easily pulled out from between the opposing trapper members and thus obviate drag on the main yarn. An arm 23 is provided on the upper end of the rod 14 which engages a pin 24 on the splicing yarn guide 25 for a purpose hereinafter described. The yarn guide is pivoted at 26 on a bracket 27 attached to the top plate 5.

To effect introduction of the splicing yarn at the time required a step of one of the cam pieces on the drum moves the rod 14: upwards so that the block 13 is raised to release the pin 11, as shown in Figure l, whereupon the funnel 2 is rotated frictionally by the sleeve 3 and makes one or more revolutions. Consequently the splicing yarn is twisted round the main yarn and the free end thereof is also pulled from between the trapper members 16 and 18. After the funnel has made the desired number of revolutions another step on the drum cam piece moves the rod 1 1 upwards a little further, so that another projection 28 on the block 13 is raised into the path of the pin 11, as represented in Figure 5, whereby the rotation of the funnel is arrested. The projection 28 is so arranged that the funnel is brought to rest with the trapper pin 17 directly above the projection 12 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The upward movement of the rod 14 also moves the arm 23 which imparts a downward movement to the yarn guide 25 thus bringing the splicing yarn down close to the top of the trapper 16. Almost immediately another step on the drum cam piece lifts the rod still further so that the projection 12 engages the pin 17 and lifts the trapper 16 as represented in Figures 7 and 8. This upward movement of the rod 14 brings down the splicing yarn guide still further. Since the trapper is now open and also by reason of the curvature (see Figures 5 to 8) of the top face of the trapper, the splicing thread is caused to pass between the two trapper members 16 and 18 as illustrated in Figures 7' and 8. The block 13 is then released by the passage of the cam' piece whereupon the trapper 16, under the influence of a spring 29 hereinafter described, falls and by co-operation with a cutter 3O severs the splicing yarn, the end of which is again trapped between the opposing members 16 and 18 as represented in Figures 1 and 3 in readiness for the next splicing operation. The splicing yarn guide is also returned to its normal position by a spring 31.. The yarn guide may be provided with a finger 32 which extends over the funnel to prevent the splicing yarn from ravelling.

The spring 29 is a wire spring as shown in Figure 10 having one end secured by a screw e0 to the funnel 2 and its free end engaging with a slot 41 in the trapper 16.

The funnel is driven to revolve at a higher speed than the needle cylinders so as to rapidly twist the splicing yarn about the main yarn.

It will be understood that the splicing thread is supplementary to the main thread; in other words, the main thread passes to the needles all the time and the additional splicing thread is run in along with the main thread when the fabric is to be reinforced.

That I claim then is 1. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type, of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed tubular member through which a main yarn passes to the needles, a driven sleeve within which the tubular member is normally held stationary, and means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a splicing yarn, said tubular member being driven by the sleeve, when required, to twist the splicing yarn round the main yarn, so that the latter carries the splicing yarn in with it.

2. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed tubular member through which a main yarn passes to the needles, a positively driven sleeve within which said member is located, and whereby it is driven frietionally, means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a splicing yarn, and means for normally holding the tubular member stationary in the sleeve and operable to release same, when required, to twist the splicing yarn round the main yarn, so that it is taken in with the latter.

3. The combination with a circular knit ting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type, of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed tubular member through which a main yarn passes to the needles, a driven sleeve within which said member is located and whereby itis driven, means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a splicing yarn, and means for normally holding the tubular member stationary in the sleeve and operable automatically to release same, when required, to twist the splicing yarn round the main yarn, so that the latter will carry the splicing yarn with it to the needles, said means also serving to control the trapping and severing means, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type, of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed tubular member through which a main yarn passes to the needles, a driven sleeve within which said member is located and whereby it is driven, means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a splicing yarn, and means for normally holding the tubular member stationary in the sleeve, and movable automatically first to release the tubular member, so that it is driven by the sleeve for twlstlng the splicing yarn round the main yarn whereby the latter will carry the splicmg yarn with it, then to check the rotation of said member, and then to bring about the operation of the trapping and severing means, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a clrcular knitting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed sleeve drlven by gearing from the top needle cylinder, a tubular member located withm and adapted to be driven frictionally by said sleeve, a main yarn being passed through said member to the needles, means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a spllclng yarn, and means for normally holding the tubular member stationary within the sleeve and operable automatically to release same when required to twist the splicing yarn round the main yarn so that the splicing yarn 1s taken in with the main yarn, for the purpose described.

6. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type, of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed sleeve driven from the top needle cylinder, a tubular member located within the sleeve and adapted to be driven frictionally thereby, a main yarn being passed through said member to the needles, means on the tubular member for trapping and severing a splicing yarn, and a device for normally holding said member stationary within the sleeve and automatically movable step-by-step vertically first to enable the tubular member to rotate within the sleeve to twist the splicing yarn round the main yarn, then to check such rotation, then to open the trapping and severing means to receive the splicing yarn, and then to enable said means to operate to trap and sever said yarn, after the required splicing operation, for the purpose herein set forth.

7. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary cylin der type, of splicing mechanism comprising a vertically disposed rotary sleeve, a tubular member within the sleeve through which a main yarn passes and which is adapted to be driven by the sleeve, a trapper device, carried by said member, said device including a movable element co-operating with a normally yieldable element, for lightly holding the end of the splicing yarn, and means for normally holding the tubular member stationary in the sleeve and operable to release same, when required, for twisting the splicing yarn round the main yarn whereby the latter will take the splicing yarn with it, said means also serving to control the movable trapper element, and means associated with the trapper for severing the splicing yarn, for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination with a circular knitting machine of the superposed rotary cylinder type, of splicing mechanism comprising a rotary sleeve, a tubular member within the sleeve through which a main yarn passes and which is adapted to be driven by the sleeve, a trapper device carried by said member, said device including a movable element cooperating with a yieldable element for lightly holding the end of the splicing yarn and having a cutting edge, a yieldable cutter co-operating with the movable trapper element, and a device for normally holding the tubular member stationary in the sleeve, and operable automatically'with a step-by-step action first to enable said member to rotate within the sleeve when required, for twisting the splicing yarn round the main yarn, and then to open the trapping and severing means, and then to enable said means to operate to trap and sever the yarn after the required splicing operation, for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THOMAS SCOTT GRIEVE. 

